“If you ask anybody here (at Villa), or any of his team-mates, there was never anything personal.

“I never stood in his way to go to any other club. The only teams that came in for him (this season) were from the Championship. It was never personal.

“He went to Brighton for a month and didn’t want to renew it. I let him go to Derby and he hasn’t started a game yet.

“I let him go to Fulham and he didn’t play too many games towards the tail-end. Was it personal at Fulham?

“It is what it is.”

Bent, who’s departure raised a few eyebrows, said recently: “Who knows what the motives were for what went on.

“I can’t understand it, but for whatever reason, the manager’s got his decision, he’s the manager and you’ve got to respect him.

“Many people said to me: ‘was it personal?’

While Villa desperately need a goalscorer, the former England international, almost 31, averaged a goal every three games but failed to make an impact on the few occasions he was used this term.

His hit-and-miss time at Villa Park is now effectively over as he’s out of contract in the summer.

Aston Villa winger Jack Grealish during the FA Cup win over Blackpool

Another player who could depart on loan is Jack Grealish but any move will strictly be to enhance his development at the club.

There is plenty of interest from the Championship with Wolves, Brentford, Ipswich and Nottingham Forest all keen on his servces but Lambert sanctioning the switch is another matter.

Up until the Christmas period the Villa boss maintained that the 19-year-old would not move as he was an integral part of his first-team squad.

But Grealish has not made the matchday 18 for the past two games and has returned to Under-21 football.

It’s thought that Villa may consider a one-month loan after this weekend’s FA Cup clash with Bournemouth to give the youngster some much-needed experience.

The winger has played in both of Villa’s cup games this term but is still waiting for his first league start.

Carles Gil’s recent arrival has pushed him further down the pecking order and if Lambert is successful in his bid to land Manchester City’s Scott Sinclair that will further block his route into the starting XI.

A temporary switch may depend on whether Villa secure any other incomings this month and the same is likely to apply to young forward Callum Robinson.

Either way Grealish remains a big part of Villa’s future.

He signed a new deal in October and is still in the very early stages of what could be a promising career.

The Solihull-born wideman spent last season on loan at Notts County and has been at Villa since he was just six-years-old.